![]() And the Golden Knights never let up from there. Vegas opened October 2022 with an 8-2-0 record to cement itself as one of the Western Conference's top contenders. It felt as though Vegas was at a turning point - but in which direction? The Golden Knights didn't need long to answer. Then word came out in August that the club's starting netminder, Robin Lehner, was likely done for the season following hip surgery. Bruce Cassidy - just let go by the Boston Bruins - stepped in behind the bench. That led to then-head coach Peter DeBoer being fired. Their big in-season trade acquisition, Jack Eichel, struggled coming off neck surgery, and by April the tenor of the team was obvious disappointment and frustration over unfulfilled expectations. Vegas missed the playoffs entirely in 2021-22 through repeated, self-inflicted wounds. The Golden Knights didn't wander into last season as obvious Cup contenders. With Vegas, we know there won't be a dull moment ahead. It'll be a fascinating journey to watch. One thing's for sure, though. ![]() We're looking back at Vegas' run to this most recent Cup Final (and its eventual victory) to break down why the Golden Knights will - and why they won't - be able to do it all again in 2023-24. How did the Golden Knights do it? What had to go wrong before so Vegas could finally get it right? And with one title under its belt, will Vegas go on to repeat with another Cup victory next summer? The club hasn't stopped evolving since its inception. Only six of the Golden Knights' original "Misfits" - aka the first round of players selected in the 2017 expansion draft - remained when Vegas clinched its victory: Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson, Reilly Smith, Brayden McNabb, Shea Theodore and William Carrier. Vegas advanced to that stage in the organization's inaugural 2017-18 campaign too (it lost to the Washington Capitals), further proof that while Vegas may have joined the NHL about 100 years into its existence, these Golden Knights wasted no time making their mark.ĭespite Vegas' short history, the club has undergone a number of roster and coaching changes in a short half-decade that culminated in it hoisting Lord Stanley's chalice. The Golden Knights weren't even Cup Final rookies, either. It took just six seasons for the NHL's latest desert-dwelling expansion team to earn the franchise's first Stanley Cup championship, through a five-game triumph over the Florida Panthers in June. We'd consider them now more like the "Overachievers." The Vegas Golden Knights were once known as the "Misfits." Will Vegas win the Stanley Cup again? The cases for, against You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
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